北京东灵山地区森林植物养分利用效率研究

本文选择东灵山地区具有代表性的11种植物，研究了植物叶片养分元素动态特征以及各个层次物种、生活型和生境等对植物叶片养分元素再吸收的影响。主要结论如下： 1、不同物种间、以及相同物种在不同森林类型内的叶片C素含量变化程度较小;11个物种之间叶片N素养分浓度差很大，但各种植物叶片的N素含量的季节变化比较一致，大多数情况下表现为单峰型或双峰变化曲线;各种森林类型中11种植物叶片P的最高含量都出现在生长初期，以后开始下降。 2、在物种水平、养分再吸收是一种重要的养分保存机制，N素和P素再吸收率大约为50%，对这两种养分元素而言，相同生境下生长的不同植物种的养分再吸收率不同，存在显著差异，而同一植物种不同生境下养分再吸收率之间也存在差异，而S素的差异则不显著。 3、同一生活型在不同的森林类型中养分再吸收率差异不明显，同一森林类型中不同生活型的养分再吸收率差异也不明显;高养分再吸收率不是低养分环境所选择的优势性状，低养分环境中的物种主要通过延长叶片寿命和加强低养分浓度状况下的物质合成来适应低养分环境。 4、除了土壤pH值外，土壤容重、土壤有机质、土壤全氮、土壤阳离子交换量在三种生境下都表现出一定的差异性。华北落叶松林生境下的土壤养分含量较丰富，其次是落叶阔叶混交林，辽东栎林相对前二种生境其土壤养分相对低一些，但在三种生境之间养分元素再吸收率差异不显著，植物养分再吸收没有或微弱地受控于土壤养分获得的能力。

农牧交错区主要植物的氮素利用效率

Berendse&Aerts (1987)认为氮素利用效率(nitrogen use efficiency，NUE)可以分为两部分的乘积，即：①氮素生产力(nitrogen productivity，NP)，②氮素的平均滞留时间(mean residencetime，MRT)。本文利用这一概念对处于我国北方农牧交错带的内蒙古自治区多伦县典型植物的氮素利用策略进行了研究。研究假设：植物在贫瘠生境上所采取的氮素适应策略主要是提高对所吸收氮素的保持能力(较长的MRT)，而不是提高NUE。 在不同土壤生境上，属于不同生活型的不同物种其NP和MRT之间存在负相关关系。在不同生境、生活型和物种之间，作为NP与MRT乘积的NUE比NP、MRT的变化相对要小，结果表明植物主要通过延长MRT来适应氮素贫瘠的生境。因为NP与MRT相反的方向变化，二者不能同时增加或减少，所以NP与MRT之间存在相互协调(trade-off)的关系。 在群落和生态系统水平上，NP与MRT之间也存在相互协调关系，不同水平上的NUE之间也存在一定的联系。除了在种间存在这种关系外，通过对多伦县和十三里滩两种针茅（大针茅、克氏针茅）的氮素利用特征的研究，发现在种内，NP与MRT之间也存在这种相互协调关系。NUE与土壤供氮能力有关，随着土壤供氮能力的下降，NUE呈上升趋势。植物的NUE不仅与土壤的供氮能力有关，其它因素如土壤水分供应状况也会对植物的NUE产生影响，例如，与生长在河岸上的植物相比，生长在河滩湿地上的植物具有较高的NP，但MRT却较低。在群落中，不同植物个体的NUE及其组成参数NP和MRT也存在较大的差异，较大的植株具有较高的NP和MRT，因而NUE也高于个体较小的植株。本文研究结果表明，植物的NUE与氮素回收转移特性密切相关，植物提高氮素回收效率(nitrogen resorption efficiency，NRE)可以延长MRT，从而提高NUE。

落叶松人工林养分循环与养分利用效率研究

通过对抚顺市温道林场20、53和69年生长白落叶松（Larix olgensis）人工林生物量和营养元素的积累与分配、养分利用效率和养分再吸收效率、养分生物循环的研究，探讨了长白落叶松生长发育不同阶段的养分生态学特征；对东北林业大学帽儿山实验林场17年生兴安落叶松（Larix gmelinii）人工林进行5年的施肥（NH4NO3，15 g•m-2•a-1），研究了施肥对人工林养分生物循环的影响。结果表明： （1）20、53和69年生单株落叶松生物量分别为33.14 kg•tree-1、311.42 kg•tree-1和408.46 kg•tree-1，随林龄的增长而增加。各器官生物量的分配格局为：树干>根>树枝>树皮>针叶。树干生物量的分配比例为50.16%~69.20%，随林龄的增长比例增大，而其他器官生物量的分配比例则逐渐减小。20、53和69年生单株落叶松净生产力分别为3.04 kg•tree-1•a-1、9.68 kg•tree-1•a-1和10.21 kg•tree-1•a-1，随林龄的增长而增大。针叶和树干的净生产力最大，分别占整株林木净生产力的40.07%~47.93%和27.32%~40.97%，并且随林龄的增长而增大。树枝、树皮和根的净生产力则表现出随林龄的增长呈抛物线状。 （2）20、53和69年生单株落叶松N、P、K、Ca、Mg等5种营养元素的总贮量分别为308.14 g•tree-1、2021.01 g•tree-1和2485.24 g•tree-1，随林龄的增长而增加。5种营养元素的贮量大小为：Ca>N>K>Mg>P。树干养分贮量的分配比例为19.74%~34.23%，随林龄的增长呈抛物线状。针叶、树枝和树皮的养分贮量占整株林木养分贮量的比例为35.16%~45.59%，建议在采伐木材时实施去皮、打枝等措施，留下针叶、树枝和树皮在林地中，让其自然分解以使营养元素重新归还利用，对于维持林地的养分平衡和长期生产力具有积极作用。 （3）20、53和69年生单株落叶松年吸收养分量分别为35.31 g•tree-1•a-1、97.83 g•tree-1•a-1和100.08 g•tree-1•a-1，随林龄的增长而增加。5种营养元素的年吸收量大小为：Ca>N>K>Mg>P。落叶松的养分利用效率随林龄的增长而增大，但生长到一定年龄阶段后，其养分利用效率逐渐趋于稳定。落叶松的最佳采伐年龄应为养分利用效率保持稳定时的年龄，此时采伐单位干材所带走的林地养分量较少。不同营养元素的利用效率不同，P的利用效率最高，Mg、K次之，N、Ca最低。不同器官的养分利用效率不同，树干的养分利用效率最高，其次是根、树枝、树皮，针叶最低。随着林龄的增长，树干和根的养分利用效率增大，而树枝和树皮的养分利用效率减小。 （4）落叶松叶片的N再吸收效率为50.76%~55.11%，随林龄的增长表现出增大的趋势；P和K再吸收效率分别为64.38%~68.85%和87.85%~90.62%，随林龄的增长表现出减小的趋势。从养分利用效率和养分再吸收效率综合判断，本研究区落叶松生长可能受土壤N、P、K供应的限制，3种营养元素的限制作用大小为：K>P>N。 （5）落叶松人工林养分的年吸收量、年存留量和年归还量分别为51.94~78.35 kg•hm-2•a-1、17.77~29.43 kg•hm-2•a-1和34.18~48.92 kg•hm-2•a-1，均随林龄的增长而减少，这与林分密度逐渐减小有关。5种营养元素的年吸收量和年存留量大小均为：Ca>N>K>Mg>P，年归还量大小为：Ca>N>Mg>K>P。落叶松人工林的养分循环速率为0.624~0.658，随林龄的增长而增大。5种营养元素的循环速率以Mg、N最快，Ca、P次之，K最慢。K的循环速率较低，可能与研究区土壤K含量较低而表现出的K再吸收效率较高有关。 （6）施肥导致落叶松叶片N再吸收效率显著降低，而凋落叶片的N浓度显著增加，从而使凋落叶片的C/N比由80.29降低到60.29。施肥林地凋落叶片C/N比的降低使其分解速率加快，有利于其养分归还土壤，从而加快了系统的养分循环速率，提高了系统的养分利用率。因此，在人工林经营中，施肥不仅能提高林地生产力，而且对于维持林地养分循环具有积极作用。

Effects of Different Feeding Regimes on the Digestibility and Faecal Excretion of Nitrogen, Soluble Carbohydrates and Fibre Fractions in Water Buffaloes kept under Subtropical Conditions

In the course of the ‘Livestock Revolution’, extension and intensification of, among others, ruminant livestock production systems are current phenomena, with all their positive and negative side effects. Manure, one of the inevitable secondary products of livestock rearing, is a valuable source of plant nutrients and its skillful recycling to the soil-plant interface is essential for soil fertility, nutrient - and especially phosphorus - uses efficiency and the preservation or re-establishment of environmentally sustainable farming systems, for which organic farming systems are exemplarily. Against this background, the PhD research project presented here, which was embedded in the DFG-funded Research Training Group 1397 ‘Regulation of soil organic matter and nutrient turnover in organic agriculture ’ investigated possibilities to manipulate the diets of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis L.) so as to produce manure of desired quality for organic vegetable production, without affecting the productivity of the animals used. Consisting of two major parts, the first study (chapter 2) tested the effects of diets differing in their ratios of carbon (C) to nitrogen (N) and of structural to non-structural carbohydrates on the quality of buffalo manure under subtropical conditions in Sohar, Sultanate of Oman. To this end, two trials were conducted with twelve water buffalo heifers each, using a full Latin Square design. One control and four tests diets were examined during three subsequent 7 day experimental periods preceded each by 21 days adaptation. Diets consisted of varying proportions of Rhodes grass hay, soybean meal, wheat bran, maize, dates, and a commercial concentrate to achieve a (1) high C/N and high NDF (neutral detergent fibre)/SC (soluble carbohydrate) ratio (HH), (2) low C/N and low NDF/SC ratio (LL); (3) high C/N and low NDF/SC ratio (HL) and (4) low C/N and high NDF/SC (LH) ratio. Effects of these diets, which were offered at 1.45 times maintenance requirements of metabolizable energy, and of individual diet characteristics, respectively, on the amount and quality of faeces excreted were determined and statistically analysed. The faeces produced from diets HH and LL were further tested in a companion PhD study (Mr. K. Siegfried) concerning their nutrient release in field experiments with radish and cabbage. The second study (chapter 3) focused on the effects of the above-described experimental diets on the rate of passage of feed particles through the gastrointestinal tract of four randomly chosen animals per treatment. To this end, an oral pulse dose of 683 mg fibre particles per kg live weight marked with Ytterbium (Yb; 14.5 mg Yb g-1 organic matter) was dosed at the start of the 7 day experimental period which followed 21 days of adaptation. During the first two days a sample for Yb determination was kept from each faecal excretion, during days 3 – 7 faecal samples were kept from the first morning and the first evening defecation only. Particle passage was modelled using a one-compartment age-dependent Gamma-2 model. In both studies individual feed intake and faecal excretion were quantified throughout the experimental periods and representative samples of feeds and faeces were subjected to proximate analysis following standard protocols. In the first study the organic matter (OM) intake and excretion of LL and LH buffaloes were significantly lower than of HH and HL animals, respectively. Digestibility of N was highest in LH (88%) and lowest in HH (74%). While NDF digestibility was also highest in LH (85%) it was lowest in LL (78%). Faecal N concentration was positively correlated (P≤0.001) with N intake, and was significantly higher in faeces excreted by LL than by HH animals. Concentrations of fibre and starch in faecal OM were positively affected by the respective dietary concentrations, with NDF being highest in HH (77%) and lowest in LL (63%). The faecal C/N ratio was positively related (P≤0.001) to NDF intake; C/N ratios were 12 and 7 for HH and LL (P≤0.001), while values for HL and LH were 11.5 and 10.6 (P>0.05). The results from the second study showed that dietary N concentration was positively affecting faecal N concentration (P≤0.001), while there was a negative correlation with the faecal concentration of NDF (P≤0.05) and the faecal ratios of NDF/N and C/N (P≤0.001). Particle passage through the mixing compartment was lower (P≤0.05) for HL (0.033 h-1) than for LL (0.043 h-1) animals, while values of 0.034 h-1 and 0.038 h-1 were obtained for groups LH and HH. At 55.4 h, total tract mean retention time was significantly (P≤0.05) lower in group LL that in all other groups where these values varied between 71 h (HH) and 79 h (HL); this was probably due to the high dietary N concentration of diet LL which was negatively correlated with time of first marker appearance in faeces (r= 0.84, P≤0.001), while the dietary C concentration was negatively correlated with particle passage through the mixing compartment (r= 0.57, P≤0.05). The results suggest that manure quality of river buffalo heifers can be considerably influenced by diet composition. Despite the reportedly high fibre digestion capacity of buffalo, digestive processes did not suppress the expression of diet characteristics in the faeces. This is important when aiming at producing a specific manure quality for fertilization purposes in (organic) crop cultivation. Although there was a strong correlation between the ingestion and the faecal excretion of nitrogen, the correlation between diet and faecal C/N ratio was weak. To impact on manure mineralization, the dietary NDF and N concentrations seem to be the key control points, but modulating effects are achieved by the inclusion of starch into the diet. Within the boundaries defined by the animals’ metabolic and (re)productive requirements for energy and nutrients, diet formulation may thus take into account the abiotically and biotically determined manure turnover processes in the soil and the nutrient requirements of the crops to which the manure is applied, so as to increase nutrient use efficiency along the continuum of the feed, the animal, the soil and the crop in (organic) farming systems.

Phosphorus and potassium balance in soil under crop rotation and fertilization

The use of crop rotation and manure application can provide sustainability for an agricultural production system by improving soil quality and increasing nutrient use efficiency. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of mineral, organic and mineral+organic fertilization on grain yield and on soil phosphorus and potassium balance, in two crop systems under no-till, with and without rotation of cover crops. The experiment was carried out from 2006 to 2008 on a clayey Rhodic Hapludox in Marechal Candido Rondon, Parana State, Brazil. The cropping sequence in the rotation system involving cover crops was black oat + hairy vetch + forage turnip/corn/pigeon pea/wheat/mucuna + brachiaria + sunn hemp, and in the succession system was wheat/corn/wheat/soybean. Organic and mineral+organic fertilizations consisted of the application of solely manure and manure combined with mineral fertilizer, respectively. Soil P and K balances were calculated after the second year of the experiment, up to a depth of 0.40 m. First year corn yields were higher in the crop succession system accompanied by mineral fertilization. In the second year, wheat and soybean yield did not vary between crop systems and nutrient sources, demonstrating the residual effect of crop rotation and manure use. Crop rotation with cover crops resulted in an increase in soil K levels by promoting the recycling of this nutrient in the soil. In both crop systems, the application of mineral and organic fertilizers - either in isolation or in combination - resulted in a negative soil P and K balance in the short term. This represents a threat to the sustainability of the agricultural production system in the long term, due to the depletion of soil nutrient reserves.

Matéria seca e absorção de nutrientes em função do espaçamento e da densidade de semeadura em arroz de terra alta

Foi instalado um experimento em condições de campo, em um Latossolo Vermelho escuro, epi-eutrófico, textura argilosa, em Selvíria-MS, com arroz de sequeiro cv. IAC 201, estudando-se três espaçamentos entre fileiras (30, 40 e 50 cm) e três densidades de semeadura (100, 150 e 200 sementes viáveis/m2). Foram avaliadas a produção de matéria seca da parte aérea no momento do florescimento e determinados os teores e quantidades de N, P, K, Ca, Mg e S absorvidos, assim como a eficiência de utilização de nutrientes. A redução do espaçamento entre fileiras aumentou a produção de matéria seca da parte aérea e a quantidade de nutrientes absorvidos. A variação da densidade de semeadura não afetou os parâmetros estudados. A redução do espaçamento entre fileiras proporcionou maior eficiência de utilização do Ca e diminuiu a do N e Mg. Os teores de nutrientes na matéria seca da parte aérea não foram afetados pela variação do espaçamento entre fileiras.

Uso racional de nutrientes no cultivo hidropônico de amorperfeito

The objective of this work was to evaluate different concentrations of nutritional solution in the hydroponic cultivation of Viola x wittrockiana Gams. The experiment was conducted in DFT hydroponic system, in a completely randomized design with a 5×4 factorial scheme and five nutrient solution concentrations (50, 75, 100, 125 and 150%), four evaluation periods with three replications of three plants for each treatment. Plant height, root length, number of leaves, flowers and floral buttons; fresh and dry weight of shoot and root were determined. The results were submitted to variance analysis, Tukey's test for evaluation periods and regression analysis for nutrient solution. A decrease in the development of the shoot and root was observed with an increase of the number of cultivation days; the greatest number of floral buttons occurred in the third week of cultivation. A reduction in the plant height, root system length, the number of leaves and the fresh and dry weight of shoot was observed generally with the increase of nutrient solution concentration.

Alface americana fertirrigada com diferentes doses de ácido fosfórico e hidróxido de potássio

Fertirrigation with phosphoric acid has been considered as an option to avoid drips from clogging. In some cases, this acid cause soil acidification and it can be substituted bypotassium hydroxide. This study had the objective of evaluating the effects of different phosphoric acid and potassium hydroxide doses, applied via fertirrigation, on soil fertility, plant nutrition and lettuce yield, compared to the conventional fertilization system. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse, in the College of Agricultural Sciences, FCA/UNESP, Botucatu-SP-Brazil. The experimental design was the completely randomized block, with 6 treatments and 4 replications. Treatments consisted of the combinations of doses (25% and 50% of the recommended complete dose for the lettuce) and application ofcomplete dose (100%) of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) applied via fertirrigation, and a control (conventional fertilization system). The results showed that P and K availability in soil and nutrient concentration in plants were affected by treatments. Low phosphorus and potassium doses, applied via fertirrigation, were not efficient for the appropriate development of lettuce plants. The results showed that agronomic characteristics and commercial lettuce were affected by doses and application systems, especially the treatment with application of P and K full dose fertirrigation.

Ammonia volatilization losses from surface-applied urea with urease and nitrification inhibitors

Urease inhibitor (UI) and nitrification inhibitor (NI) have the potential to improve N-use efficiency of applied urea and minimize N losses via gaseous emissions of ammonia (NH 3) to the atmosphere and nitrate (NO3-) leaching into surface and ground water bodies. There is a growing interest in the formulations of coating chemical fertilizers with both UI and NI. However, limited information is available on the combined use of UI and NI applied with urea fertilizer. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of treating urea with both UI and NI to minimize NH 3 volatilization. Two experiments were set up in volatilization chambers under controlled conditions to examine this process. In the first experiment, UR was treated with the urease inhibitor NBPT [N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric acid triamide] at a rate of 1060 mg kg -1 urea and/or with the nitrification inhibitor DCD (dicyandiamide) at rates equivalent to 5 or 10% of the urea N. A randomized experimental design with five treatments and five replicates was used: 1) UR, 2) UR + NBPT, 3) UR + DCD 10%, 4) UR + NBPT + DCD 5%, and 5) UR + NBPT + DCD 10%. The fertilizer treatments were applied to the surface of an acidic Red Latosol soil moistened to 60% of the maximum water retention and placed inside volatilization chambers. Controls chambers were added to allow for NH 3 volatilized from unfertilized soil or contained in the air that swept over the soil surface. The second experiment had an additional treatment with surface-applied DCD. The chambers were glass vessels (1.5 L) fit with air inlet and outlet tubings to allow air to pass over the soil. Ammonia volatilized was swept and carried to a flask containing a boric acid solution to trap the gas and then measured daily by titration with a standardized H 2SO 4 solution. Continuous measurements were recorded for 19 and 23 days for the first and second experiment, respectively. The soil samples were then analyzed for UR-, NH4+-, and NO3--N. Losses of NH 3 by volatilization with unamended UR ranged from 28 to 37% of the applied N, with peak of losses observed the third day after fertilization. NBPT delayed the peak of NH 3 losses due to urease inhibition and reduced NH 3 volatilization between 54 and 78% when compared with untreated UR. Up to 10 days after the fertilizer application, NH 3 losses had not been affected by DCD in the UR or the UR + NBPT treatments; thereafter, NH 3 volatilization tended to decrease, but not when DCD was present. As a consequence, the addition of DCD caused a 5-16% increase in NH 3 volatilization losses of the fertilizer N applied as UR from both the UR and the UR + NBPT treatments. Because the effectiveness of NBPT to inhibit soil urease activity was strong only in the first week, it could be concluded that DCD did not affect the action of NBPT but rather, enhanced volatilization losses by maintaining higher soil NH4+ concentration and pH for a longer time. Depending on the combination of factors influencing NH 3 volatilization, DCD could even offset the beneficial effect of NBPT in reducing NH 3 volatilization losses. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Phosphorus and potassium balance in a corn-soybean rotation under no-till and chiseling

Nutrient use efficiency has become an important issue in agriculture, and crop rotations with deep vigorous rooted cover crops under no till may be an important tool in increasing nutrient conservation in agricultural systems. Ruzigrass (Brachiaria ruziziensis) has a vigorous, deep root system and may be effective in cycling P and K. The balance of P and K in cropping systems with crop rotations using ruzigrass, pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and ruzigrass + castor bean (Ricinus communis), chiseled or not, was calculated down to 0.60 m in the soil profile for 2 years. The cash crops were corn in the first year and soybean in the second year. Crop rotations under no-till increased available P amounts in the soil-plant system from 80 to 100 %, and reduced K losses between 4 and 23 %. The benefits in nutrient balance promoted by crop rotations were higher in the second year and under without chiseling. Plant residues deposited on the soil surface in no-till systems contain considerable nutrient reserve and increase fertilizer use efficiency. However, P release from ruzigrass grown as a sole crop is not synchronized with soybean uptake rate, which may result in decreased yields. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Links between tree species, symbiotic fungal diversity and ecosystem functioning in simplified tropical ecosystems

We studied the relationships among plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal diversity, and their effects on ecosystem function, in a series of replicate tropical forestry plots in the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Forestry plots were 12 yr old and were either monocultures of three tree species, or polycultures of the tree species with two additional understory species. Relationships among the AM fungal spore community, host species, plant community diversity and ecosystem phosphorus-use efficiency (PUE) and net primary productivity (NPP) were assessed. Analysis of the relative abundance of AM fungal spores found that host tree species had a significant effect on the AM fungal community, as did host plant community diversity (monocultures vs polycultures). The Shannon diversity index of the AM fungal spore community differed significantly among the three host tree species, but was not significantly different between monoculture and polyculture plots. Over all the plots, significant positive relationships were found between AM fungal diversity and ecosystem NPP, and between AM fungal community evenness and PUE. Relative abundance of two of the dominant AM fungal species also showed significant correlations with NPP and PUE. We conclude that the AM fungal community composition in tropical forests is sensitive to host species, and provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that the diversity of AM fungi in tropical forests and ecosystem NPP covaries.

Carbon (d13c) and Nitrogen (d15n) Isotopic Discrimination in Mangroves in Florida Coastal Everglades as a Function of Environmental Stress

Isotope signatures of mangrove leaves can vary depending on discrimination associated with plant response to environmental stressors defined by gra­dients of resources (such as water and nutrient limitation) and regulators (such as salinity and sul­fide toxicity). We tested the variability of man­grove isotopic signatures (d13C and d15N) across a stress gradient in south Florida, using green leaves from four mangrove species collected at six sites. Mangroves across the landscape studied are stressed by resource and regulator gradients repre­sented by limited phosphorus concentrations com­bined with high sulfide concentrations, respec­tively. Foliar d13C ratios exhibited a range from ­ 24.6 to –32.7‰, and multiple regression analysis showed that 46% of the variability in mangrove d13C composition could be explained by the differ­ences in dissolved inorganic nitrogen, soluble reac­tive phosphorus, and sulfide porewater concentra­tions. 15N discrimination in mangrove species ranged from –0.1 to 7.7‰, and porewater N, salin­ity, and leaf N:Pa ratios accounted for 41% of this variability in mangrove leaves. The increase in soil P availability reduced 15N discrimination due to higher N demand. Scrub mangroves (<1.5 m tall) are more water-use efficient, as indicated by higher d13C; and have greater nutrient use efficiency ratios of P than do tall mangroves (5 to 10 m tall) existing in sites with greater soil P concentrations. The high variability of mangrove d13C and d15N across these resource and regulator gradients could be a con­founding factor obscuring the linkages between mangrove wetlands and estuarine food webs. These results support the hypothesis that landscape fac­tors may control mangrove structure and function, so that nutrient biogeochemistry and mangrove-based food webs in adjacent estuaries should ac­count for watershed-specific organic inputs.

Relationships Between Hydrology and Soils Describe Vegetation Patterns in Seasonally Flooded Tree Islands of the Southern Everglades, Florida

Tree island ecosystems are important and distinct features of Florida Everglades wetlands. We described the inter-relationships among abiotic factors describing seasonally flooded tree islands and characterized plant–soil relationships in tree islands occurring in a relatively unimpacted area of the Everglades. We used Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to reduce our multi-factor dataset, quantified forest structure and vegetation nutrient dynamics, and related these vegetation parameters to PCA summary variables using linear regression analyses. We found that, of the 21 abiotic parameters used to characterize the ecosystem structure of seasonally flooded tree islands, 13 parameters were significantly correlated with four principal components, and they described 78% of the variance among the study islands. Most variation was described by factors related to soil oxidation and hydrology, exemplifying the sensitivity of tree island structure to hydrologic conditions. PCA summary variables describing tree island structure were related to variability in Chrysobalanus icaco (L.) canopy cover, Ilex cassine (L.) and Salix caroliniana (Michx.) canopy cover, Myrica cerifera (L.) plot frequency, litter turnover, % phosphorus resorption of co-dominant species, and nitrogen nutrient-use efficiency. This study supported findings that vegetation characteristics can be sensitive indicators of variability in tree island ecosystem structure. This study produced valuable, information which was used to recommend ecological targets (i.e. restoration performance measures) for seasonally flooded tree islands in more impacted regions of the Everglades landscape.

Produção de biomassa e exportação de nutrientes de Eucalyptus grandis e E. urophylla

Scientific research in forest production technology area search techniques that increase production per unit area, with high economic viability and reducing environmental impacts. When dealing with forest plantations, studies are needed in the production of biomass and its nutrient content, and these are data parameters for planning the environmental implications of different intensities of forest harvesting. Given the above, this study aimed to elucidate the production and export of biomass and nutrients for two species of the genus Eucalyptus (E. grandis and E. urophylla) grown in the southwestern region of Parana. For this, it was evaluated: the stock of biomass and nutrients in eucalyptus (wood, bark, branches and leaves) at 60 months of age; the export rate of nutrients; the calorific value and economic viability. The biomass and the largest eucalyptus nutrient stocks are predominantly allocated to the stem (wood + bark). The components of biomass showed different chemical compositions, generally being higher in the leaves and bark and lower in wood and branches components. As for the calorific value, the leaves had its calorific value statistically superior than the other fractions, followed by branches, wood and bark. The organic carbon content (C.O.) is directly connected to the calorific value, and the calorific value increases as its content increase. The wood had the highest nutrient use efficiency values, something highly desirable and of great interest to forestry. The leaves showed smaller nutrient utilization efficiency values, with the exception of Ca and Mg that were smaller in the bark, indicating the importance of maintaining these components in the soil after harvest. The wood fraction presents the biomass lower cost when considering the replacement of nutrients exported by its biomass. On the other hand, the leaf fraction showed NPK higher cost of replacement.

Nutrient mass balance for Lockyer vegetable production

The potential for fertiliser use in Lockyer Valleys intensive vegetable production to impact on the Moreton Bay Waterways (MBW) is not well defined. Notwithstanding nutrient runoff through soil erosion of agricultural lands has been identified as a process that significantly contributes artificial fertiliser to the MBW (SEQ Healthy Waterways Draft Strategy 2006). In order to better understand this issue the present study undertakes a nutrient mass balance to evaluate nitrogen use efficiency in the intensive horticultural industry of the Lockyer Valley.